Hábitat
para la Humanidad
Argentina (HPHA) celebrated its first 10 years serving
families in need of housing, in October. To honour these ten years of commitment and faith in action, two big
events took place. First, from the the 1st
to 13th October the annual construction event “Seeds of Hope” took
on an extra festive spirit to mark the 10 years. Then, on Thursday 25th October a
simple gathering was organized to join volunteers, donors, partner families,
staff members (all past and present) in a toast to celebrate a decade of
achievements, and to look ahead to the new challenges.
Seeds of Hope Construction Event
From the
early hours of the morning in the “Un Techo para Todos “and “22 de Enero”
neighborhoods, the HPHA tent filled with volunteers from each of the companies
that took part in this construction event, financed by Telefe, Mercedes-Benz Automotive and Financial, and CISCO.
The event involved laying the foundations for 3 new Seed Houses.
Corporate
volunteers from CISCO, Ford Argentina,
Whirlpool Argentina,
and Mercedes-Benz joined in to create a festive spirit and build hope, as well
as houses. For many, this was not their first
time building with HPHA…they were anxious to come back and continue bonding
with the community and witnessing the growth of a neighbourhood.
Upon
arrival, the volunteers received a T-shirt, helmet, gloves, and listened
carefully to the instructions and safety precautions. They then divided into
three groups for each one of the Seed Houses. At noon, everyone took a break
from construction work, and volunteers and families shared lunch with their
host families, exchanging experiences and reflection. Each day ended with a summary of the achievements,
final comments and often the heart felt appreciation of both volunteers and
families.
For two
weeks, these neighborhoods in Ciudad Evita were painted blue, green, and white
with the HPHA t-shirts and helmets.
There was a feeling of joy and hope as three families saw their dream of
an adequate house start to be fulfilled. In all, there were seven days of
construction: 6 corporate brigades, and one special brigade of HPHA Board
Members, friends and volunteers. On the
last day, Mariano Peluffo, television host and producer, once again delighted
the kids in the neighbourhood with his presence. After visiting the 3 houses, he rounded up a
drawing workshop taking place in the Plaza with some 60 kids, and personally
autographed each of their best pieces of artwork!
Over 150
volunteers participated and, along with the members of the beneficiary
families, performed construction work totaling over 1,200 hours. At the end of the event, each of the 3 Seed
Houses had its foundations solidly laid, sceptic tank completed, and and two of them were well advanced with the
walls. This means that in just two weeks, volunteers were able to complete work
that would have taken the families more than two months.
The two
week event was sponsored by Balanz Capital and Alicia González de Magnus Viajes
and Turismo, with in kind donations from BASANI and Staples Argentina.
10th Anniversary
After weeks
of anticipation, on the last Thursday in October, HPHA celebrated its 10th
anniversary with a cocktail party in the hall of the historic Anglican
Cathedral, located in the City Centre Buenos Aires. The event was attended by
over eighty people, including donors, volunteers, employees, members of the
Board of Directors, beneficiary families, and friends who have been with the
organization over all these years. Among them were three of the five presidents
the organization has had: Jackie Abadi, José Colacilli, and current President
María Cecilia Mariluz. Some partner organizations also participated: Santa Rita
and María Auxiliadora Chapels, Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary, Latinamerican School of Coaching, Marval O’Farrell and Mairal, the Civil
Association De la Nada, Fundación Sagrada Familia, FlechaBus Foundation, and
the Anglican Church.
This
celebration was sponsored by Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires, SECURITAS Seguros,
and Peñaflor Establishment. It was a
time for memories and appreciation of the work of so many over these 10
years. Los del Camino, a Christian
Folklore group long connected to HPHA, provided the music, whilst Archdeacon
David George officially opened the event with a prayer and a blessing. The highlight of the evening were the words
of 10 people each representing one year in the history of Hábitat para la Humanidad Argentina.
They were:
Patricia
Caviezel: the only volunteer who has been active in HPHA from its very
beginning until today.
Mario
Uviedo: Beneficiary family of the project “Rebuilding Santa Fe” after the 2003
floods, recognized in this event for his responsibility in paying his loan over
the past 8 years.
José
Colacilli: President for 7 of the 10 years of the organization.
Mercedes
Mendoza de Vargas: Beneficiary family of the “Tierras” project in Santa Fe, and
representative of the group of HPHA families that now run a Neighbourhood Group
to seek improvements in the community.
Lorna
Álvarez: Member of the congregation of the Anglican Church and responsible for
gathering small donations that over the years, has meant almost 14.000 US
Dollars
Daniel
Neyra: First beneficiary family of the Assisted Rents Project.
René
Rodríguez: Beneficiary family from the Progressive Improvements project in Luján
that also has paid back his loans on time.
Cristian
Emery: Supplier of computer services to
the National Office, who has shown his commitment to the mission of HPHA by
being the only businessman who has maintained his fees over the last 3 years
despite the 20 to 30% mandatory rise in salaries.
Rita
Jiménez: Beneficiary family from the Progressive Improvements project in La
Matanza, and member of the group of volunteer families that work to improve the
neighborhood.
Pedro
Gadze: Representing all of the volunteers that have passed through the
organization over the past ten years.
HPHA President
Cecilia Mariluz’s,
gave thanks to God and to all the staff and volunteers who have been a part of
the organization over these last 10 years and then handed over to the
organization’s executive director, Ana Cutts, who has also been with HPHA from
the beginning. Ana began her speech with
a quote from English poet Oscar Wilde: “We
are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”, alluding
to the idea that those who have shared the last 10 years with HPHA are people
able to look at the stars and be convinced that dreams can be achieved.
Without a
doubt the most emotional moment of the evening was the presentation by Norma
Niz, whose family is from Open Door town in the Buenos
Aires province. That night, she celebrated the cancellation of her
loans received in 2003. She barely began to read the letter she had prepared
when she broke down in tears, and let the Master of Ceremony read the
rest. She wrote “How can we forget that
February afternoon when one of my daughters said: “Mami I saw a sign that said that an association called Hábitat para la
Humanidad helps build houses for families in need… my heart was suddenly filled
with such hope and excitement”. The letter expressed the deep thanks felt
by Norma and her family to all of the people in the organization that have
accompanied her in her journey to have her own home today.
Topping
off the evening, candles were blown out on a delicious cake, and the party came
to its finale with a toast to HPHA and a wish for many more years of service to
come.
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